President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed a five-member delegation to represent Nigeria at the burial of American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 84 in Chicago.

The delegation is headed by Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Other members include Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa; Special Presidential Envoy for Global and Pan-African Affairs Brian Browne; and Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaye.

According to a State House statement issued on March 4 by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the delegation will formally convey President Tinubu’s condolences to Jackson’s family and associates.

In an earlier tribute, Tinubu described Jackson as “a great friend of Nigeria and Africa,” highlighting his vocal opposition to apartheid in South Africa. The Nigerian leader recalled Jackson’s advocacy for the release of Nelson Mandela and other leaders of the African National Congress, as well as his role in mobilising international support for sanctions against the apartheid regime.

Funeral events began on February 26 with a lying-in-state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in Chicago. Additional memorial services have been held in South Carolina and Washington, D.C., including a lying-in-state at the South Carolina Statehouse from March 1 to 5.

A “People’s Celebration” is scheduled for March 6 at the House of Hope in Chicago, followed by a private homegoing service on March 7 at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

A United Kingdom court has sentenced a Nigerian man, Adedapo Adegbola, to life imprisonment for the murder of his former girlfriend, 23-year-old Stephanie Irons, following the end of their relationship.

Adegbola was sentenced on Thursday at Nottingham Crown Court and ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to the charge last month.

The court heard that Adegbola and Irons met as colleagues and were briefly in a relationship, which later ended due to what the trial judge described as Adegbola’s controlling behaviour. Prosecutors said he became fixated on Irons and planned the attack after she broke off the relationship.

On 21 October, Adegbola went to Irons’s residence in Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, where she was killed. He fled the scene but surrendered himself to the police in Hull the following day.

During sentencing, members of Irons’s family paid tribute to her, describing her as compassionate and kind-hearted. Her mother told the court she was devastated by the loss, saying her daughter had a warm personality and always sought to make others happy.

Delivering judgment, Judge Nirmal Shant KC said Adegbola’s refusal to accept the end of the relationship ultimately led to the fatal incident.

Detective Inspector Stuart Barson commended the victim’s family for their strength throughout the investigation and court proceedings.

Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire Police confirmed that a 40-year-old woman, Mary Onolunosen, has been charged with assisting an offender. She is scheduled to appear before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on March 6.

A Finnish court on Monday sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish politician Simon Ekpa to six years in prison for terrorism-related offences.

The Päijät-Häme District Court found the 40-year-old former Lahti municipal councillor guilty of participating in a terrorist organisation, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act.

Prosecutors said that between 2021 and 2024, Ekpa promoted the independence of the so-called Biafra region in Nigeria through illegal means, using social media to influence followers and support armed groups the court classified as terrorist organisations.

The court ruled that Ekpa provided weapons and explosives through his contacts and urged his supporters on X, formerly Twitter, to commit crimes in Nigeria. He denied all charges.

Ekpa was arrested in December 2024 and tried over 12 sessions earlier this year. A three-judge panel delivered the unanimous verdict, ordering him to remain in custody.